


The Best Recourse for Relaxation

by parier



Category: Avengers Academy (Video Game)
Genre: First Time, Getting Together, M/M, Misunderstandings, Virgin Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 14:28:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8804473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parier/pseuds/parier
Summary: Steve didn't know how to make sense of the unicorn.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There's a handful of references to the game events (the Halloween Event and Doctor Strange Event) and to some specific dialogue, but all you need to know is that Steve and Tony could have potentially gone on a private getaway together, Tony has a fondness for hot tubs in this game, and then later he gets his very own unicorn.

Steve took in his surroundings, gazing at the clear water extending endlessly into the horizon. He dug his toes into the white sand and let himself bask in the sun, letting the heat permeate his senses and surround him in warmth. Aside from his other companion, there was nobody else on the beach, leaving him free to do whatever he wanted. No responsibilities to distract him, no training to be done—nothing to do but to sleep in, relax, and enjoy himself.

It was absolutely miserable.

On some level, he knew it was ridiculous to resent his situation, but that didn’t stop the restlessness from shifting into bitterness, pervading any rationale he had. It’s been three days since they arrived here, sent away by Jan to help the battle back on campus by...vacationing? With the power of friendship? Steve never quite understood what was happening at the Academy, if he was being truthful. Despite his own efforts at getting involved, it was usually Jan or Natasha or, heck, even Loki, who took charge. Still, at least when he was there he could keep an eye out, or continue training, or help his teammates strategize, or _anything_ , really, would probably have been more productive than being stuck on a beach with Tony Stark.

Steve didn’t see how the trip was helping anyone, least of all himself. Steve knew what he was getting into, reminding himself that he was there when they planned this short getaway. He and Tony were in the dorms for hours, deciding where to go, how long to stay, what to bring, and so on, bickering about every detail. But it still didn’t prepare him for the reality of the situation.

He sighed, then walked over to where Tony was lounging, taking forceful strides. The other boy looked far more comfortable than Steve felt, sprawled languidly his chair as one of his robots fanned him and another held up his drink.

Tony didn’t move as Steve collapsed into the adjacent seat. He merely snapped his fingers as a third robot hovered over to Steve and held up a plate of cheese in offering. Steve wrinkled his nose, trying not to think about how long it’s been sitting out in the sun, and declined politely.  

“You know, beaches and blonds are always my thing, but somehow this wasn’t what I expected.” Tony made it obvious that he was rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses. Steve raised an eyebrow at Tony, not sure what to make of his statement. _This wasn’t what I was expecting either_ , Steve considered retorting, but they’ve managed not to argue since they’ve arrived, and he didn’t have any intentions of starting now.

“Honestly, can you just chill for a minute? I know brooding is your favorite past time and all, but there are other ways for you to kill time.” Apparently Tony didn’t share the same qualms about picking a fight. When Steve didn’t respond, he continued, “I’m sure there’s a checkered blanket somewhere. We could lay it out and you can dance by yourself for eight hours, if it makes you feel more at home.” Oh, for god's sakes.

Steve remained silent, contemplating on how to respond. He knew what Tony was doing, trying to provoke Steve into their usual quarreling. It was easy, really. Steve knew how to press into all the right bruises, almost as instinctively as he could throw his shield, but that didn’t mean he wanted to. He and Tony...to say that they got off on the wrong foot seemed like an understatement. But things were better between them now. They were friends, or at least, Steve hoped that they were friends. After many interventions from Jan, and Natasha, and the two of them literally fighting it out, they’ve managed to get whatever it was out of their systems. Tony even asked him for dating advice, and Steve would assume you’d only ask someone you got along with, so he supposed that boded well for the two of them.

(Steve tried to focus on the memory of Tony calling him “absurdly good-looking,” rather than the dull ache in his chest that the discussion left behind. He reminded himself that there’d be no way Tony would be asking for advice about Steve _to_ Steve, after all. Or would be asking about Steve in general.)

“I wish we could be back on campus, helping the team.” Steve replied civilly, in an attempt to ease the conversation away from antagonism.

Tony gave him an offhanded wave. “It’s fine. Probably. I mean, the Heroes for Hire have the fighting under control, and you know how they get if we’re in their way.”

Steve supposed that was true. “Aren’t you supposed to be taking care of the dimensional rifts?”

“Yeah, about that. Fury is apparently calling in some Asshole Supreme to deal with it.” Tony snorted. “He’s annoyed that we couldn’t come up with a solution in like, a day, and decided that we’re all useless.”

“You’re not useless.” Steve frowned. It was true. Even if Steve didn’t agree with all of Tony’s methods, he could admit that they were effective. He asked Tony for help once before, didn’t he? ( _“I like it better when we get along,”_ Tony had said back then.)

“I’m over it. Whatever. Want a mojito?” Tony jerked his shoulders in a shrug and fiddled with his drink, staring resolutely into its contents.  

Steve shook his head slowly at the offer. If he was being honest, it did make more sense for Director Fury to ask a magic expert to close the magical rifts. But he understood Tony’s need to take matters into his own hands, and to try to find a solution using his own approach. It’d be hypocritical of Steve to say otherwise, considering his own penchant for trying to punch all his problems away.

Still, Tony always felt like he had to prove himself, and that was reminiscent of Steve’s younger days, before the serum. But fortunately for him, after the serum, Steve’s competence no longer came into question. Everyone looked up to him and relied on him. Even his more... _villainous_ classmates spoke of the admiration they felt, no matter how begrudgingly.  

And all Tony got after receiving his arc reactor was a hole in his chest and an incapacitating sense of self-worth.

“I’m sure if you told the Hulk what happened, and he’d probably sit on the Sorcerer Supreme. Or on Director Fury.” Steve mused, in an attempt to cheer him up.

Tony jerked his head back at Steve, staring at him. Steve responded with a pleasant grin and luckily for him, Tony burst out laughing after a moment. Steve tried to ignore the warm feeling growing in his chest at the reaction.

Tony caught his breath and beamed at Steve. “Oh man, you don’t know how much money I’d pay to see that.” A part of Steve was willing to tell the Hulk himself if he knew it could brighten up Tony’s face like that. He didn’t feel remotely apologetic to Director Fury either.

The mood felt lighter after that. For a good fifteen minutes. Steve tried to relax, he really did, but after the serum it’s been more difficult, if not impossible, for him to be inactive. He kept fidgeting, sitting up in his seat, sighing, flopping back down against the headrest, considering going on his fourth swim of the day, sitting up again, swinging his legs off the chair, deciding that he really didn’t want to swim, leaning back down into the chair, sighing again—until Tony let out an aggravated cry and forcibly closed the magazine he was perusing.  

“Didn’t we just do this, like, _ten minutes ago_?” Tony gritted out, and Steve felt a little bad for being disruptive.

But he didn't feel too bad. “I’m sorry for offending you with my presence,” he deadpanned. He waited a beat for Tony to retort, and when he didn’t, Steve lifted himself off the chair with finality. Tony bolted out of his seat and grabbed Steve by the wrist, then let go, surprised by his own actions.

“Woah, hey, no— _look_ , I don’t want you to go, I mean. You don’t have to go.” Tony darted his eyes away when Steve turned to regard him properly. “Sorry. I just felt kinda useless that I couldn’t solve, uh, whatever problem you’re having.” A careless shrug. “Unless the problem is me, then, sorry dude, I was here first.”

“No, it’s not you, it’s me—” Steve ignored the look that Tony gave him “—you know what I meant. It’s hard for me to unwind. Do you know I only have fifteen non-training, non-sleeping hours a week?”

“That really doesn’t surprise me,” Tony considered. Steve thought the two of them were similar in that aspect, except that Steve wasn’t certain that Tony had time off at all. Sure, he had a rather strange sense of priorities, but Tony was the type of person who could get invested in whatever petty pissing-contest-of-the-week he was up to, without falling behind on his responsibilities.

Steve noted that Tony didn’t bring any of his work with him on this trip, and while Steve envied him for being able to relax, he had a feeling that Tony would be locked up in his workshop for weeks as soon as they got back. Steve thought ruefully that if anybody deserved some time off, it was Tony. He’d admit he was starting to feel bad again for getting on Tony’s nerves.

“I think I should get up anyway. Stretch my legs, maybe go on another run.”

“And go back to moping? Yeah, no. Somehow the thought of that is stressing me out more than your fidgeting. I did suggest dancing before...”

“No. Try again.”

Tony pondered over this, before listing out more possible solutions. “I don’t know, you draw, right? That’s a thing you do? I’m not going to say _reading_ because knowing you, you probably brought some boring history book. Are you sure you don’t want that mojito? Or some cake? I definitely have some cake somewhere, and you can sit in the hot tub with it—” Steve kept shaking his head at each idea, slowly tuning out until Tony’s next suggestion plummeted him back into the conversation.

“—and I brought some water-proof lube if you just wanna jerk off in it, although you should tell me if you do, because, y’know, hygiene and all that—”

“ _What._ ”

“I said, you should use the hot tub?”

“No, Tony, _why_ would I masturbate in your hot tub?”

“It’s not _my_ hot tub, it’s an egalitarian hot tub, why wouldn’t you be allowed to? I mean, I’ve been finishing outside the water, so it’s not gross and stuff, if that’s what you’re worried about. It’d be cool if you did the same thing, too.”

“I’m asking _why_ you think I would do _that_ in there.”

“Because it’s a hot tub?” Tony quirked his eyebrow. “Obviously, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, just a thought.”

“That’s not what I...” Steve shut his eyes in exasperation. “This conversation isn’t happening.” Steve was determined not to think about how apparently Tony masturbated in hot tubs habitually. (That _would_ explain his fondness for them.) He hoped that Tony would drop the conversation, but unfortunately, Steve’s discomfort only encouraged him to keep going.

“What’s wrong? Talking about _jacking off_? C’mon, Cap, you can say it aloud. I know sex didn’t exist in the forties or whatever, but it’s a brave new world now. This does explain why you’re so pressed all the time, though.”

“Of course I _get off_ , Tony,” Steve objected. He was a guy in his twenties (give or take seventy years), what else did people expect? “But it would be weird to do it now after you’ve _ordered_ me to.”

Tony flushed at his words, but barreled onward. “Well, now you’re considering it, aren’t you? It’s fine if you are, you can admit I have good ideas sometimes.” Tony smirked in triumph. “You can go inside and I’ll stay out here, if you’re worried about performance issues. Or you can stay here if that’s your thing and I’ll go inside. Or not.”

That last part was weighed with undertones, but Steve quashed down any hope he felt building up. “I already did this morning,” he countered weakly. He felt like he was dissuading himself more than anything.

Tony’s tapped his fingers against his lips, making a show of his deliberation. After a moment, he took off his sunglasses and gave Steve a loaded look, the same one he’d use when inviting people to ‘check out his tower.’ ( _And his hot tub_ , Steve’s traitorous mind supplied.)

“It doesn’t seem like it,” he teased. “Maybe you’d be able to loosen up more if someone else gave you a hand.”

It was impossible to misinterpret that, but if Steve was anything, it was stubborn, and he continued on feigning ignorance. He heard the words and the way Tony said them, and he knew the context of the whole damn conversation, but, why would Tony possibly—there was no way that he’d…

“Uh?” Steve articulated.

Tony’s responded by holding up his hand and wiggling his fingers.

Steve swallowed thickly. “I still don’t understand why you’re offering in the first place.” He was proud of himself for keeping his voice in its usual timbre.

“Why not? I’m not doing anything right now. And I told you it was bothering me that I couldn’t help, so here I am. Helping you out.”

“Helping me out,” Steve echoed numbly.

“You can’t really be surprised that I’m offering. I know what people think of me,” Tony smiled slyly, but with less enthusiasm than before. “But really, this shouldn’t have been the first time someone propositioned you. Everyone on campus is half in love with you anyway, of course anybody would be willing to go down on you.”

“Go down.” Steve hated himself for fixating on those two words.

“Oh. I mean.” Tony bit his lips, before raising his shoulders indifferently. “Yeah, I could do that instead, if you wanted me to?”

Steve wasn't sure how to respond. His brain was still reeling over the fact that _Tony Stark just offered to perform oral sex on him_. He always had a feeling that—actually, he and everybody else knew that Tony wasn’t straight. But there was still a huge misstep in logic between knowing that _Tony wasn’t only interested in women_ and _Tony offering to give him a blowjob_ , that Steve never considered this would happen to him, ever.

At least, he never thought Tony would be interested in him in that way. Besides, Tony flirted with everyone. Steve always assumed that was just the way Tony liked to interact with others. And he was sure that Tony was attracted to a lot of people just as well. He must have found Steve attractive too—he talked about how handsome Steve was more than enough times. And his proposition proved it.

But there were times when he hoped that Tony might have liked him more than just that. Tony helped him run for class president, he wanted to dress up as Captain America for Halloween, he would always help him no matter what the situation was, even if they were arguing… But between the two of them and their pride, neither of them seemed to be willing to set aside their ‘friendly rivalry’ facade and explore their other feelings, if they existed. Steve’s feelings were there, he knew, even if he couldn’t label them properly. And it’s not like he never considered being with Tony in a physical sense. But more than that?

 _Oh_ , Steve realized. _That would be…nice._

He liked spending time with Tony, no matter how few and far apart those opportunities are. His pulse picked up at the thought of being with Tony, not merely because of whatever enemy they had to team up against, or being whisked away on a private island where he had nothing to do.

And he didn’t want the start of this to be because Tony was tired of him fidgeting. _If_ something was starting.

Steve rubbed his neck nervously, not sure how to broach the topic. He realized a little too late that he’s never been the one to initiate anything. He’s always managed to attract assertive people, it seemed. Tony was the one who made the first move, too. It would’ve been easy to just follow his lead, but Steve had to make sure they started this properly.

“Tony, listen...thanks for the offer. But I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that with someone, unless I had intentions of…” Steve struggled to find the right words. “Wooing them?”

Tony snickered. “So what? You want to give me flowers before I blow you?”

Steve gaped at him. He was used to Tony’s lack of decorum, but hearing Tony say it like that made him wonder if he was being idealistic, too outdated. He was worried he was just embarrassing himself, but he pressed on.

“That's not exactly what I had in mind. I guess it makes me old-fashioned, but I was thinking less ‘flowers and blowjobs’ and more ‘dinners and movies.’” Steve tried to give a casual shrug, but he could feel the heat of his face betraying his demeanor. He hoped Tony wouldn't laugh at him or mock him or anything. “I would rather date someone properly than just hook up with them, so not like this.” He finished by gesturing vaguely at the two of them.

Tony was nodding along as he listened, but by the time Steve was done speaking, he noticed that Tony had dropped his gaze, the smirk no longer present on his face.

Before Steve could investigate further, Tony slid his shades back on and sank into his lounge chair. “Hey, it was just a suggestion, don’t worry about it.” He signaled at his robot to fetch him a new drink as he returned to reading his magazine.

Tony seemed decidedly done with this topic, much to Steve’s disappointment. Steve had more to say, but every time he looked over to Tony, he would bring his magazine closer into himself, persistent in making sure he was unapproachable, and that there were no openings to pick up the conversation again. Steve felt an uneasiness settle deep in his gut as his cheeks burned with humiliation. He considered that he might've gotten ahead of himself. Maybe Tony wasn’t interested in anything more than a hook up? Or maybe Steve just ruined his chances. It wouldn’t be the first time that he’d made that mistake with Tony… He winced at the memory of the hug incident.

He didn’t realize how deep in his own thoughts he was, mulling over what had just happened, until Tony jerked him out of his introspection by shoving his phone in front of him. Steve got a blurry glance of a block of text, in all capitals.

“Just got a message from Fury,” Tony grumbled. “Looks like we’re taking the Quinjet back to campus now. At least you’ll be able to get back to work, right?” Steve supposed Tony said the last part as a joke, but he wasn’t sure he heard any jest in it.

Steve nodded mutely as Tony turned away and walked back towards the beach house, his robots following him fervently. He scrubbed his face with his hands. Part of him was glad to have the distraction of the Academy again, but at the same time…

Maybe he could talk to Tony during their flight back. If not, then Steve resolved to settle things between them when they’ve returned to campus. And if Tony seemed to reciprocate his feelings, he’d ask Tony properly, and do this properly.

 _It’d be fine_ , Steve reassured himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Things were not fine.

As soon as they’ve returned to the Academy, Director Fury pulled Tony away, probably to shout at him. Then the Sorcerer Supreme was here, and suddenly portals appeared all over campus, and tentacles, and there were buildings reminiscent of M.C. Escher outside the school grounds. So Steve didn’t have any opportunities to talk with Tony, but aside from that, things were fairly normal for him.

That was, until the unicorn arrived.

Steve had heard Jan’s squeal of delight when it first showed up on campus, but he didn’t dwell on it. Being at Avengers Academy meant that iron-clad unicorns were mundane in the grand scheme of things, and Steve dismissed it as normal school shenanigans—or Jan-and-Tony shenanigans, which were honestly much more difficult to comprehend. Tony was dressed up as an Iron Man-themed Gandalf and nobody thought _that_ was worth commenting on. But when Tony brought the unicorn (‘Tony Stallion,’ he named it) onto the grounds, the student body seemed to have erupted with gossip, which Steve had never paid attention to, until Sam nudged him in the arm and whispered—

“Man, I wouldn’t have thought Tony was a _virgin_.”

Steve didn’t know what to make of that. He didn’t even care when the unicorn first appeared, but after the notion was planted into his head, suddenly that was all he _could_ think about.

It was nonsense, he knew it was. Both the actual appearance of the unicorn and what it meant. He overheard Sharon and some of the other girls talking, scoffing at the commotion people were making over the unicorn's significance. Steve vaguely understood the idea of virginity as a...social construct, was it? He heard them discussing this, about how it was an imaginary concept created to...well, he supposed he was witnessing it himself, what it was designed to do. Rationally, he knew it wasn’t a big deal nor anybody’s business. But that didn’t stop some of the other guys on campus from finding it incredibly amusing. (Steve’s arm may have slipped and hit them with his shield. A couple of times. That stopped most of the gossip, at least.)

The girls didn’t seem surprised by this revelation, but Steve supposed it wasn’t news to them. After all, they probably knew what (or who) everyone was up to. But Steve was always convinced that Tony had an... _in-depth_ social life. Tony flirted like he breathed. He’s been on dates, Steve’s seen him, and he’s invited people back to his tower and his _hot tub_.

At least Steve used to be sure, but after some consideration, it did seem plausible that wasn't the case. Jan had always explained to others how Tony acted a certain way—cocky, boisterous, and flirty—but inside he was still _shy_ and _sensitive_ (her words). Steve wouldn’t have used those descriptors himself, but he could see where she was coming from. Maybe? He certainly wished he could become acquainted with those qualities of Tony personally. He’s really only known Tony’s loud-and-arrogant persona, but even that hadn’t deterred his interests.

Which brought him back to the problem at hand.

Steve hadn’t had a chance to talk to Tony at all since they’ve arrived back on campus. And he didn’t want to admit that Tony was avoiding him, but he probably was, and...that hurt. Steve knew it was likely his own fault, and that it’d be best for both of them for him to just move on. But Steve didn’t want to go back to their prickly relationship, after all the progress they’ve made to finally become friends. And admittedly, Steve would like to be more than friends with him, but it wasn’t like he was going to push it if Tony didn’t want to.

Steve thought he could let go of the whole thing if he knew Tony was propositioning Steve for casual hook-up. Just another notch in the bedpost or entry in Tony’s black book, however you'd like to describe it. But that was the thing—that couldn’t have been the case, could it? If Tony didn’t have any experience, at all, but then offered himself—to Steve. Was it because Tony just _wanted_ to, to satisfy his own curiosity, or maybe because it _was Steve_ , or… Steve wasn’t sure how to make sense of it. But the thought of Tony having never been with anybody, but wanting to be with Steve...

 _Social construct_ , he reminded himself harshly.

Steve had hoped that something would happen on campus to distract him, but unfortunately, it was another month at the Academy where Steve was stuck on the sidelines. (Yes, he tried punching the bad guys. No, that did not work.) He hated being useless, but more so now that he literally had nothing to do. Which meant Steve had nothing to occupy himself with except to think about his...dilemma.

Steve sighed as he slowly lifted the weight plates off the barbell, having been training for the past six hours. While he usually turned to working out to decompress, it wasn’t what he needed. In fact, it was the opposite of what he needed. It only served to give Steve more time to think as he exercised, and more time to think meant more time to think about certain people and mythical creatures...he needed to stop that.

He made his way to the changing room and stepped into the closest shower, the hot water soothing his tense muscles. If he thought he was agitated during his trip, that was nothing compared to how he felt nowadays, between feeling useless and contemplating too much. He knew that his friends could tell something was wrong, but he was grateful to them for minding their own business. Sam just gave him a look and told him he was free if Steve ever wanted to hang out. Bucky offered him a song, which...thanks, Buck... Natasha stared at him knowingly and volunteered to ask Jan to set him up with someone, which was her way of saying that he needed to get laid. She wasn’t incorrect in her assessment.

Steve groaned, grumbling at his mistake of adding ‘getting laid’ to the list of things he shouldn't have been thinking about. He palmed himself slowly, to see if his cock would respond with interest, or if he was too frustrated to get in the mood. Frustrated at his own idleness, frustrated with what was happening on campus, frustrated that he couldn’t stop thinking about the _trip_ and _Tony_ and _unicorns metaphors_ and _Tony_ —oh. That seemed to have worked.

Steve would be lying if he claimed he hasn’t been thinking about Tony often since they’ve returned to campus, but he’d still rather eat his own shield than admit that. It was just—Steve was a visual person and he had a fairly vivid imagination—and the thought of Tony offering to help him out back on the beach, even if he himself wasn’t...experienced, was something Steve couldn't stop considering. Tony could bluff his way through a handjob at least, wrapping his hands around Steve’s dick and stroking him, maybe the same way he’d like to be touched himself. Steve’s always liked Tony’s hands, his elegant fingers, long and dexterous, a little rough and calloused from consistently working and building things. He would have probably sat next to Steve in his chair—or _on_ him—murmuring into his ears, since he knew Tony had this need to fill the silence with his own voice. Or maybe he wouldn’t. He was good at concentrating, maybe he’d be too focused, which would be a shame, because despite how Steve gave him a hard time for his arrogance, he really liked Tony’s mouth—

Steve gripped himself more firmly at that train of thought. Tony was willing to go down on him back on the beach, wasn’t he? What if they _did_ go through with it? If Tony could fake his way through a handjob, would he try to act the same way through something he had _no_ experience in? What if Tony was hesitant while still pretending he knew what he was doing. Pulling Steve out of his trunks and staring for a moment, maybe pumping his length a couple of times with his clever hands, just to get a feel for it. Would Tony start off tentatively, taking only his head in, sucking and getting a taste for it? Or would he just jump in, refusing to show any sign of hesitation, trying to swallow as much as he could down his throat and— _god_ —could he take him all the way in? Would he stay quiet or moan unashamedly, like he—like he loved it? Just the thought of that, Tony sucking Steve’s cock like it was the best thing to happen to him, just imagining Tony’s face pinched in concentration, until his eyes fluttered open and he’d _look_ at Steve to see if he was doing a good job—

Steve came with a guttural moan, bracing his other arm on the wall. He stroked his cock through the rest of his orgasm, the listless feeling quickly turning into guilt, as he processed that he had just fantasized about Tony, and was using his inexperience to get off (the _idea_ of Tony’s inexperience, he reminded himself, he didn’t know for sure and it was _none of his business anyway_ ). Steve’s mind couldn't stop lingering on the possibility that he could have been the first person Tony had been with. But he was using Tony as wank fodder, someone who was avoiding him, and probably didn’t want anything to do with him anymore.

Maybe Mephisto could come back to campus and offer to take Steve back to hell.

Despite how Steve just wanted to stay in the shower with his guilt for the rest of his existence, he knew he would have to leave at some point, mostly because someone would find a use for Captain America eventually. As he stepped out and toweled dry, he told himself he should stop by the club to see how his classmates were doing, but mostly to show Sam and the others that he wasn’t just _sulking_ —

“Oh.”

Steve halted at the sight of Tony, who was sitting on the bench that Steve was on earlier, with a tool box next to him, obviously interrupted while he was working on...something. Steve was too preoccupied to process anything other than how _Tony was here_. He was thrilled about it, until that feeling was engulfed by immense shame, when Steve remembered what he was up to not ten minutes ago.

Tony was eyeing him warily, and for a panicked moment, Steve was afraid that Tony knew what he was doing before, until he realized that he wandered out of the changing room in only his jeans and a towel over his shoulders. Steve flushed and sent him an apologetic look, then dressed hastily, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of his shirt sticking to the dampness of his back. It was still better than making Tony feel awkward with his nakedness, and that seemed to have snapped Tony out of his reverie anyway.

“Sorry, I didn’t expect anyone else to be here,” Steve explained to the floor. When he glanced up again, Tony seemed to be staring pointedly at the treadmill across the room. Or anywhere that wasn’t at Steve.

“Yeah, Black Widow told me to check out the equipment. She said they might have been abused over the past week.”

Steve willed down the blush that was spreading through his cheeks and neck. _Thanks Natasha_ , he thought.

“I’ve been working out a lot,” he admitted sheepishly. “There really isn’t anything for me to do, about the portals at least.”

“You should consider yourself lucky,” Tony said, his mouth twitching slightly. “I’ve been running around trying to prove to Doctor Strange that science is better than magic.”

Steve would be more surprised if Tony _didn’t_ antagonize the other man, but still. “And it can’t wait until after the invasion is over?”

“Nope,” Tony insisted, still turned to the task at hand. He was tightening some screws on the rack, giving the frame a shake to test out its stability. “This guy tried to disrespect my super-scientist lifestyle. I have to prove tech is better while making magic look stupid.”

Things didn’t seem different between him and Steve. Or at least, Tony wasn’t letting on that he’s been staying away Steve for the past week. He could have just been busy, as he said. But Steve knew that things between them were volatile. He should consider what to say next and tread carefully to see where Tony stood with him.

“When you do stuff like this, you usually make yourself look stupid.”

 _Good going, Rogers._ Steve was going to surgically remove his foot from his mouth one of these days.

Fortunately, Tony didn’t seem offended by his assumption. He was too occupied with his task, only stopping to send Steve an impish grin over his shoulders. “Iron Man’s gotta do what Iron Man’s gotta do.”

Steve returned a small smile, grateful that Tony didn’t hold his comment against him. Or maybe he was so used to their mutually jerkish banter that he was immune to it at this point. Steve blanched at the thought and scrubbed his face harshly with his towel to hide his perturbed expression.

He was unsure what to say next, and let seconds pass in silence. He should really go. Whatever moment there was between them, if there was a moment, was gone by this point. But if Steve didn’t mention something now, was he ever going to have another chance? He was very familiar with all of the missed opportunities he’s had, recognizing that twinge of heartache whenever he recalled them. And with Tony...he had to know for sure.

He crash lands helicopters on a daily basis, he could do something as simple as asking someone on a date.

He coughed and put some distance between them, leaning against the wall so he wasn’t trapping Tony by towering over him. Tony glanced over, noting his stiff posture and general air of discomfort.

“Something wrong, Cap?”

“Not really. I was just wondering if you’d have some time off, after the invasion was over.”

Tony blinked. “Well, probably not. Knowing Fury, he’s going to dump fifty more assignments onto my lap, then I have all of these armor designs I wanted to go over for the new recruits...”

 _Try again, Rogers._ “If you happened to be free, I was thinking the two of us could spend some time together.”

“What? Like more training?”

“We could. But maybe more along the lines of what we discussed earlier. During our trip.”

“Oh.” Tony was staring at him, his mouth pursed in confusion, until realization dawned on his face. His eyes frantically searched Steve’s, studying intently. When he found what he was looking for, he bit his lip then ducked his head down. “ _Oh._ ”

Whatever reaction Steve was preparing himself for, that wasn’t it. He could see the tension in Tony’s shoulders, his body slightly hunched over as Tony was scrutinizing the screwdriver he was holding, his expression tight with an expression Steve couldn’t identify.

“So you want to...now? I mean, yeah, we could.” Tony still hadn’t looked up at Steve, twisting the tool in his hands as he spoke.

“If you don’t want to—”

“No! No, I didn’t say that. I offered in the first place, didn’t I?”

Wait.

“I’ve been thinking about it too, but, I’ve been busy and stuff, you know. The whole magic and tech thing. And you’ve already said ‘no’ once already, so I didn’t think...I mean, do you even want to? With me? You guys heard about the whole...unicorn thing, so...”

_Wait._

Steve was expecting for Tony to reject him, or maybe laugh, but in all the scenarios he had considered, Tony would be reacting to the idea of a date. Not that Tony would assume that Steve was—was redeeming his previous offer of...

Steve took in Tony’s posture and face once more and identified that expression as misery. He knew he lost him somewhere. Steve panicked.

“Tony, I don’t want to _sleep_ with you,” he asserted, unable to keep the exasperated tone from slipping through.

Tony finally glanced up, his eyes widened in shock, and then hurt, before his mouth twisted into a facetious smirk. “Oh. Right, of course not. Sorry—”

“No, I mean—yes. I meant.” Steve found himself crowding in front of Tony once more, startling him into dropping that expression. He inhaled and knelt on the floor, meeting Tony at eye level. “I want to _date_ you.”

“What.” That only seemed to intensify the startled look on Tony’s face.

“During the trip. I said I wanted to ‘woo you,’ but I thought maybe you found that...embarrassing.”

“Woah, woah, _woah_. Hold up. You did _not_ say anything about _wooing me_. You talked about wooing _someone_ , how was I supposed to know you were referring to me?” Tony glared at Steve, jabbing the handle of the screwdriver his direction. “And you know, that was the third time you blew me off for something, and I can only handle so many rejections before...” Tony faltered, processing the words that left his mouth, and grimacing like he wanted to beat himself with the tool in his hand.

Steve, on the other hand, wasn’t sure how to process any of this. All he knew for sure was that he kind of wanted to punch himself. Repeatedly.

“I really like you, Tony. And I hoped you like me too, but I don’t want to force you into anything just because you want to make me happy.” Steve rubbed his neck, embarrassed. He wanted to tear his gaze away from Tony, but felt like he owed him that much at least for this entire misunderstanding. “I want to make you happy too, but all I’ve done was made you feel...this way. I’m really sorry, I’ll—I’ll just go.”

Steve lifted himself off the floor, his nerves burning with humiliation. _This was a mistake_ , he realized. He should have just acknowledged that he missed his chance earlier, and instead he pushed the issue, and left things between them more stilted than before. It wasn’t just that he’d embarrassed himself, he'd _hurt_ Tony. Made him think that Steve didn’t want him, or that just wanted what Tony had to offer, and Steve hated himself for it. Especially when Steve wanted every part of Tony; the good and the bad and even the parts that made Steve sigh heavily, because despite how infuriating they were, they were a part of Tony, part of what made him who he was, and—

He was turning to leave when suddenly Tony’s hand caught his. Steve almost stumbled, but balanced himself and whipped around to see Tony looking down in contemplation. Steve tried to dampen down any hope he felt flaring up in his chest, but the fluttering feeling in his gut was rising back with full force.

“Do you mean it?” Tony met Steve’s eyes with his own, roaming the other’s face for any sign of hesitance. “That you want us to go out? Like, as a couple?”

“Yeah. _Yes_ ,” Steve said, giving Tony a reassuring squeeze. He let his hand go loose again, but not entirely slack. Firm. Hopeful. “I’d like that a lot. If you feel the same way.”

Tony worried his lips between his teeth as he considered this. Steve waited, even as he felt his heart clawing its way up his throat. He had to force himself to breathe.

Tony was still holding onto his hand.

The answer finally came in the form of a shrug. Tony raised his shoulders and nodded, trying to play off his response as casual. But his expression was radiating with joy when he peered back at him.

“Yeah, sure. Cool. Let’s do it?”

Steve exhaled, letting out the breath he was holding, but all he heard was an astounded laugh. He beamed at Tony, bright and happy, overwhelmed by anticipation and relief. He knew that he had messed up somewhere along the way, and he still might have wanted to punch himself, but he chose to focus on how Tony was willing to give him another chance—to give _them_ a chance. He squeezed his hand again, but this time, he held on tightly.

Tony was still trying to maintain his air of flippancy, but Steve could see the blush forming in his cheeks, the twitch in his mouth as he tried not to smile too openly.

He was clasping onto Steve’s hand now, too, unwilling to let go. And Steve felt the same way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conversation regarding Doctor Strange was taken almost entirely ad verbatim:
>
>> "I'm going to show Doctor Strange that science is better than magic."
>> 
>> "Can't it wait until after the invasion is over?"
>> 
>> "Nope. This guy tried to disrespect my super-scientist lifestyle. I have to prove tech is better while making magic look stupid."
>> 
>> "When you do stuff like this, you usually make yourself look stupid."
>> 
>> "Iron Man's gotta do what Iron Man's gotta do."


	3. Chapter 3

Steve wasn’t sure what dating would entail. Everyone’s idea of dating at the Academy so far had been odd, to say the least. There were a lot more secret missions and spending time at the computer than he would have expected. He wasn’t surprised that their idea of dating also involved missions and computers, but they did other things as well. Steve taught Tony how to play pool, they hung out in Stark Tower, Tony persuaded him to enjoy his hot tub together...

At first there was still some skepticism from Tony’s side, that he didn’t expect this thing they were doing to last long. Tony warmed up to him slowly, but even so, Steve didn’t want to pressure him into doing anything. Which was why he was surprised when Tony kissed him first, after one of their sparring sessions at the Arena. It was _perfect_ —until Ares came and berated them for slacking off, and then Director Fury got involved and yelled at them for his own reasons, and the next thing Steve knew, the whole school was talking about their new relationship.

Jan was mostly relieved that she could talk about this out loud now (and all over social media), and Steve wasn’t surprised that she knew already, despite Tony pretending that he had no idea and insisted that he definitely didn’t tell her immediately after their first date. Natasha was pleased that her suspicions were confirmed and that her spying instincts were on point, as usual. Sam congratulated him with a pat on the back and a standing offer for a double date. Bucky tried to express his congratulations through poetry, but luckily Steve was pulled away before that could happen. Loki also had things to say, but nobody cared. Pepper and Rhodey were happy to see someone looking out for Tony, and Maria Hill shoved fraternization pamphlets in his face.

But really, the only thoughts that Steve cared about were Tony’s. And Tony was happy. When they first started going out, he would act the same way he always did, talking about how attractive Steve was, making glib observations, trying to get a reaction out of him. But there was always some underlying trepidation, as if he didn’t know what would happen if he let himself be more open around Steve. It wasn’t until after their first kiss when Tony started being more assured around Steve, relaxing and allowing himself to act instinctively, honestly, instead of having to put on a front around him. Tony would lean into him, or wrap his arms around his torso if nobody else was watching, or press against him in the back room of Club A, covering Steve’s mouth with his. And once he knew that Tony felt comfortable with it, Steve let himself display his own affections, with a hand placed on his back, a kiss to his forehead, learning what what would make Tony freeze up or what he was receptive to.

Steve was happy too. All his guilt-ridden fantasies (which he had confessed to Tony, and Tony’s only response was to goad Steve into describing them in great detail, much to the blond’s mortification—but it resulted in happy endings for both of them) didn’t come _close_ to how Tony actually was. He was sweeter and more responsive than Steve would have assumed, soaking in all the affection Steve had to offer, taking time to gauge what he liked and what he didn’t.

Steve never asked about the unicorn. After all, it was still none of his business, no matter that they were dating now. But Tony was unexpectedly honest about it, in his own way. He spoke about things in a roundabout fashion, as if circumventing the topic would mitigate the damage to his own ego. But Steve was getting better at understanding him, knowing when to ask him to elaborate or when to drop the subject. They were learning each other’s boundaries, still so early in their relationship, but that meant they had more opportunities to explore what they liked together. It wasn’t like Steve was that experienced either, at least not with another man.

The exploration came easily in their relationship, which wasn’t a shock considering they were still young and had jobs that came hand-in-hand with adrenaline rushes. They were more likely than not to pull the other away for a quick fondling session, after spending time at the Robo Dojo, or the dance floor, or the Blasting Range, or the lab, or the library—anywhere or anytime, really. Steve was glad that his classmates laid off the ribbing, after their initial reactions. At least, to their faces, it wasn’t like he could have done anything about the gossip. But they never gave him a second glance anytime he hastily excused himself, for...reasons.

Steve was thankful for this when he was leaving SHIELD Headquarters earlier than he expected, he and Sam and some of the others managing to sneak off while Director Fury turned his ire onto a few selected students. He mentally thanked them for their sacrifice as he made his way to Stark Tower, slipping away from his classmates who knew better than to ask. Steve promised to meet Tony there, and thought it wouldn’t hurt that he was early. If anything, he could watch Tony work or gush over his latest project, which Steve was admittedly fond of doing, despite his aversion towards the robots.  

The tower was unexpectedly quiet when he entered, but he understood why when he finally found Tony in his room, sprawled across the bed and fast asleep. Steve felt himself smile as he regarded his boyfriend, still wearing his work clothes with the shirt rising up his stomach. He climbed onto the bed and leaned over him, softly tracing the exposed skin, feeling Tony stir awake beneath him. Steve chuckled and brushed his lips against Tony’s forehead, then his jaw, and finally his mouth, deepening the kiss as Tony responded slowly.

Tony hummed contently, the vibrations lighting Steve’s nerves and heat settling in his gut. Steve finally parted away from Tony, whose eyes shot open at the sudden lack of contact. Tony sent him an affronted look, his mouth turning into a slight pout, and Steve couldn’t help pecking him once more for good measure.

“I was taking a pretty nice nap, you know. You always complain about me not getting enough sleep.” Tony sent him a teasing glance as he stretched, spreading himself deliberately on the bed. Steve’s eyes darted back to the strip of skin below his shirt, and he went back to caressing that part of Tony’s stomach, dipping his fingers under the waistband of his jeans. When he heard Tony hitch his breath, he returned a charming smile.

“Do you want to go back to sleep? I could go if you’d like…”

Tony gave an exaggerated sigh, calling Steve’s bluff. “Yeah, well. I’m sure you can make it up to me somehow.”

Steve nodded in agreement and leaned back down, bracketing Tony between his arms. He mouthed at Tony’s jaw, then worked his way down to his neck and collarbone, biting intently and licking over his marks in satisfaction. He felt Tony shiver underneath his lips, sighing softly every time Steve exhaled, his breath cooling the fresh marks on Tony’s skin.

He braced his weight on one arm as he led the other to the fly of Tony’s pants, palming him through the fabric. Tony gasped softly, grinding his hips at the touch. Despite how loud Tony usually was, he was always quiet when they started, and Steve quickly learned that one of his favorite things to do was to coax sounds of out him, sweet noises that would gradually escalate in intensity. Steve returned to Tony’s mouth, slipping his tongue between his lips, as his hand continued rubbing him, working fervently and drawing out Tony’s moans, that were increasing in volume and desperation—

Until Tony snapped away from him, knocking his head back onto the pillow with a groan.

“You are _not_ going to make me come in my pants,” he hissed between his teeth and shot Steve a glare, even through the haze of lust in his eyes. Steve took mercy on him and quickly undid his jeans, pulling off his pants and briefs, and freeing his hard cock.

Steve took the momentary interruption to rummage through the bedside table, retrieving the lube and squeezing a generous amount into his palm. When he looked back, Tony was idly stroking himself, peering at Steve through his lashes.

“You were taking too long,” Tony responded lightly to Steve’s frown. He removed his hand after a few more pumps and gestured down at his crotch, as if granting Steve permission to continue.  

“You could give me a show next time, if you wanted,” Steve said casually and heard Tony’s sharp intake of breath at the suggestion. He filed that away for later. But for now, he wrapped his hand back on Tony’s cock, eliciting a whimper from the brunet. Steve began with slow strokes, watching Tony bite back his moans, a blush blooming on his face.

Tony curled his arms around Steve’s neck to pull him closer, capturing his lips, as Steve began pulling more intently, taking long strokes up the shaft and twisting his wrist and rubbing at the head. Steve settled his free hand on the back of Tony’s head, clutching his hair, deepening the kiss and licking into his mouth. He could feel Tony trembling, climbing closer to completion, fingers digging into Steve’s shoulders, so desperately, until he felt the telltale sign of Tony flexing under his hands.

Tony broke away from Steve’s lips with a shuddering sob, coming into his hands. He collapsed back into the bed, his chest rising and lowering deeply as he worked air back into his lungs. He looked exhausted, but not enough to stop himself from sending a lustful look at Steve, keeping his eyes on him until he found the energy to speak again.

“Here, let me take care of that for you.” Tony pulled Steve’s hands towards him and began licking at it, sliding the digits between his lips and sucking thoroughly. Steve watched with rapt attention as Tony moaned around Steve’s fingers, cleaning off every last drop of his own come. He didn’t miss the way Tony’s face winced at the taste, but he was too distracted by his own neglected hardness that was fiercely making its presence known, the feeling of Tony’s hot tongue on his skin going straight to his cock.

Steve couldn’t take it anymore. He used his other hand to scramble at his pants and pull himself out. Tony took notice immediately, his pupils darkening with appreciation when he looked down. Tony always said—well, he always made sure that Steve knew that he liked it—loved it, even—although his exact words might have been, _“Jesus fucking Christ, I always thought you’d be equipped but god damn.”_ Or, _“I don't know if I have a size kink or not, but I'm pretty sure your dick is going to ruin me for anyone else.”_ (Steve had no problems with that.)

“Can I,” Tony started, his eyes darting between Steve’s face and his cock. “Let me take care of that for you too?”

Steve nodded, his mouth too dry to speak, and sat back to give Tony room. But he wasn’t expecting Tony to kneel in front of him, placing his hands on Steve’s thighs to support himself as he lowered his head down. Steve inhaled sharply at the sight, Tony hovering just inches away from his groin, naked except for the shirt he kept on.

“Are you…?” Steve held his breath. Tony has never done that before, not with Steve, not with anyone. And of course Steve had thought about what it’d feel like, if Tony performed oral sex on him, and he thought about it embarrassingly often, but he still wasn’t expecting for Tony to suck him off _now_.

Tony gave him a slow smile, which would have appeared innocent if Steve didn't know any better. “I’ve been wanting to give you the blowjob I promised.” And okay, that was enough of a reason for Steve.

He jerked his head again in affirmation, because— _fuck_ —he wanted that. Steve planted his hands to his sides, clenching uselessly. He wanted Tony to go at his own pace, and he didn’t trust himself to touch him, based on all of the times he’d imagined this—Tony taking his cock into his mouth for the very first time—and what he would do in said fantasies.

Tony started off slowly, being open with his hesitance as he licked the underside of Steve’s cock. He dragged his tongue up his length, sucking tentatively at the tip, and moaned throatily when he heard the groan released from Steve’s mouth. Tony encased Steve’s head in the warmth of his mouth, tasting the precome that was leaking onto his tongue and swallowing it down eagerly.

Steve was trying not to lose himself in the feeling, to not thrust into the hot and wet sensation. He clutched at the sheets, willing his hips to stay still, as Tony started to test how much he could take in, downing Steve’s cock inch by inch. Tony seemed to have realized that he could swallow all of him, if he wanted to, letting the weight of Steve’s cock settle on his tongue, so close to the back of his throat. But he didn’t try to take him down whole, and instead bobbed his head, hollowing his cheeks and working on his length in a steady rhythm. His mouth popped off with a breathless gasp, panting for air, then he tilted his head to roll his tongue along the side. He slid Steve’s cock back in when he was ready again, humming and causing Steve to jolt as the vibrations coursed through his body.

Tony blinked at the reaction and looked up. God, he was a sight. His mouth stretched obscenely around him, red and swollen and glistening. He was still on his hands and elbows, his ass hiked up as his body shifted in tandem with his mouth, the fabric of shirt settling in the arch of his spine as he leaned down. And Tony wouldn't stop peering up at him, his eyes questioning, as if asking if how he was doing, and Steve almost came just then.

Steve could feel the familiar tightening sensation in his groin, heat coiling through his body and setting his senses on fire. He gently cupped Tony’s jaw with his shaky hands, getting his attention, and grunting that he was close. Tony paused at the touch, but nuzzled against his hands and pulled off, dragging his tongue up his shaft once more as he did so. He was panting shallowly, drawing air between his puffed lips. He licked over them and Steve tracked the movement, burning how debauched Tony looked into his memory.

Steve gripped his cock, thick and throbbing in his hands, feeling the dampness left from Tony’s mouth and his head leaking onto his hands. Tony dropped down again and before Steve could protest, he gathered up the precome with his tongue. Steve gripped himself harder to prevent himself from coming all over Tony’s face, groaning in effort.

Tony lifted himself up and pressed his lips against Steve’s, and he could taste himself on his tongue. He then slid his hand underneath Steve’s fingers, taking the reins again, and finished him off. Steve hissed out a moan as his rode out his orgasm, convulsing through the last few jerks of Tony’s hands, now covered in strips of Steve’s come. He let himself fall back onto the bed, too spent to move or think or do anything other than to come down from his own pleasure.

“Good, right?” Tony looked on at him, smirking at Steve’s blissed out state. It was more than good, it was better than anything Steve imagined before. It was amazing—Tony was amazing. He was an amazing boyfriend who was amazing at giving head and was now bringing his hand to his lips to— _god_. Tony sucked on one of his fingers, tasting it, and although Steve thought he was finished before, Tony’s inquisitive expression was actually going to be the end of him.

“Not bad. I like it better than mine, for sure,” Tony declared, his voice gravelly, and all Steve could do was gape at him. He responded with a salacious wink, before shamelessly licking the rest of it off, holding Steve's gaze as he was doing it. The sight of that alone was enough to work Steve up for another round, but he didn’t want Tony to think that he wasn’t done—or was left unsatisfied, somehow.

Steve knew he was right in that assumption when he saw the unsure expression form on his face. Tony still had a finger in his mouth, his lips pursed around it, but his eyebrows drew together at Steve’s silence. Steve quickly reached for him, gently folding his hand over Tony’s wrist, and pulled him down for a kiss, trying to be as tender as he could, but unrelenting earnest. Tony melted against him, letting himself be held closely as Steve nestled his hands onto the small of his back.

“That was incredible,” Steve said. He winced mentally at how simple that sounded, but he's never been as creative with his compliments as Tony was. Steve followed up with a deep, long kiss, hoping that actions would be more effective in getting his feelings across. Tony made a pleased sound at that, but when they pulled apart, he gave him a searching look.

“We can go to my hot tub for round two, if you want?”

“No, I’m good. I just...want to stay here, with you.” Steve tightened his embrace, holding Tony against him as firmly as he could.

That seemed to have been the right response. Tony gave him an affectionate smile then dropped his head back down, to rest on top of Steve. They laid there together for a few minutes, their chests breathing in sync, too relaxed to move.

Steve couldn’t help smiling to himself. Things were good, better than anything he could have envisioned before they started dating. If they went through with what Tony proposed at the beach, it would have never been as nice as this, he thought. And he was relieved they waited, despite all the frustration and confusion, and that he took the opportunity to clear the air. And now, Steve could have this instead. He knew that he's had some difficult moments in the past, even after the serum, and he was never too optimistic about his own happiness. But now, he was also aware that he’s been fortunate sometimes, and this… Tony was one of the best things to have happened to him.

He blushed at the thought. He knew it was a bold statement, but that didn't make it any less true. He looked down at his boyfriend, and his chest felt warm with fondness. A part of Steve wished they came to this point before their getaway, if only because it would have made their trip a lot more enjoyable for the both of them. He wouldn’t have minded the hot tub suggestion either, if Tony was joining him as well. His mouth twitched at the idea. But he still didn’t regret anything. He knew that they didn’t miss their only chance back then, that they had to make the detour they went through to arrive at where they were now. And it wasn’t like that’d be the only trip they’d be able to have, despite their hectic schedules. Maybe if they could carve out some free time, and if Tony was willing to go somewhere with him again...Steve was sure that Tony would tease him about their first vacation, but he thought Tony wouldn’t mind some time off again. At least, Steve wouldn’t mind trying to persuade him, that was for sure.

They continued laying there for a few more moments, until Tony finally squirmed with discomfort. Steve loosened his grip, allowing Tony to roll off him.

“Okay, yeah. I think we should go shower before we continue cuddling.” Tony sat up and quirked an eyebrow. Despite how languid he felt, Steve had to agree. He grinned and placed a hand on Tony’s behind to give him a push. Tony rolled his eyes and slid off the bed, pulling his boyfriend after him and leading them into the bathroom.

Steve might ask about the trip later.


	4. Epilogue

“Tony, you need to relax.”

“I _am_ relaxed. I am the fucking epitome of relaxed right now.”

Steve looked down at his boyfriend, sure that the skepticism was apparent on his face. Tony’s cheeks were flushed with exertion, his eyebrows drawn together in a tight knit as he tried to even out his breathing. He then locked eyes with Steve, giving him his most assertive look, as if daring his partner to fight him on this.

Steve sighed and stilled his fingers, giving Tony’s thigh a firm squeeze when he heard an impatient huff in response. He leaned down and kissed him beneath his navel, feeling the taut muscles under his lips.

“We don't have to do this now,” Steve insisted, keeping his head low, not wanting to hover over him. He peered up at Tony and saw him swallow thickly, struggling to come up with the right words.

“I want to, Steve. I _really_ want to.” Tony reached a hand down to run through Steve’s hair, in a reassuring manner. “This is all just, y’know. I'm not used to the feeling.”

Steve trusted Tony. He did. In all the months of knowing him, the weeks of dating him, he knew it wouldn’t help either of them if they couldn’t believe each other’s words. He wasn’t going to question him or pry an explanation out of him. And the last thing he wanted to do was to be patronizing, to doubt Tony and imply that he wasn’t capable of making his own decisions. But he still needed Tony to relax before they went any further.

“It’d feel better if you were less wound up.”

Tony snorted. “Yeah? What do you suggest, big guy?”

Steve tried again. He kissed Tony’s hip in appeasement and moved his wrist slightly. Tony let out a stuttered breath, clamping down on his fingers, the hand on Steve’s head gripping onto his hair almost painfully. Steve stopped.

“Do you want to hear a joke?” Steve shrugged, jostling the leg that was hooked over his shoulder.

Tony stared down at him in disbelief. “You—you have two fingers in my ass right now, and you want to tell me a joke.” Tony emitted a breathless laugh, and that seemed to have relieved some of the tension, but still not enough for Steve’s comfort.

Steve eased his fingers out slowly. Tony frowned, but Steve crawled up, pressing his body against Tony’s and securing him between his chest and the mattress, flush enough that he could feel the arc reactor digging into his skin. He covered Tony’s lips with his own, kissing him as gently as he could. Tony seemed confused, but responded just as softly, neither of them eager to push the kiss further, not yet. Minutes passed between them like that, and eventually Steve felt Tony mold himself back into the bed.

Steve brought his hand over to the back of Tony’s thigh, kneading lightly. Tony hummed with satisfaction, hiking up his legs at the touch, encouraging him to keep going. Steve let his hand travel up, mapping the indents of his muscles, then dipping into the crease of Tony’s ass. He teased his fingers there, massaging the sensitive skin above the opening. Tony gasped into his mouth, grinding up at Steve and coaxing his lips apart with urgency. Steve could feel Tony’s hardness between them, his erection rubbing against his stomach. He dropped his hand to Tony's entrance, swirling his fingers along the rim and spreading the lube that was spilling out. When he dipped the tip of his finger in, Tony keened, his hips bucking at the intrusion.

“Are you sure you want to?” Steve murmured against Tony’s mouth, needing him to respond before he continued. Tony jerked his head in affirmation, his eyes shut tight in pleasure.

“Fuck, yes. _Yes_.”

Steve coated his hand with more lube and twisted his fingers back in, continuing to work Tony open. He was looser now, more receptive to Steve’s touches, quivering around him, and Steve slid in a third finger. He waited for Tony to loosen around him again before he began stretching him wider, deeper, spreading his fingers as far as they could manage.

Tony was panting now, but his body stayed relaxed, only clenching down when Steve found the right spot. Steve continued working his fingers, brushing against it occasionally, and watched for any signs of discomfort. Tony’s face was pressed deeply into the pillow, his mouth slack and his eyes still closed, wrecked by the sensation. Steve heard his own breath hitch, and felt his cock throbbing impatiently at seeing Tony coming apart like this—at the fact that _he_ was making Tony come apart like this.

“I think we’re ready,” he said at last. Tony was still speechless, only hissing out an exhale when he slipped his fingers out. Steve bent down again to mouth at the inside of Tony’s thighs, working his way up his knees, caressing his skin as he went. “How do you feel?”

“Like I’m ready to get fucked,” Tony answered breathlessly. That was a good response, Steve decided, and he moved up to kiss the side of Tony’s face, receiving a soft look in return. “C’mon, Steve, I’m ready.”

“Do you want to turn over? It might be easier that way.”

“Since when do I like making things easy for myself?” Tony was still smiling, still holding his gaze.

Steve knew what Tony meant, the sentimentality unspoken between them. He rolled a condom on and slicked himself up generously, feeling his own tremors of anticipation. He looked at Tony as he positioned himself, gripping his cock and nudging against his entrance. Tony stared back with wide eyes and then nodded, and Steve pressed in, excruciatingly slow. Tony felt so _tight_ , even after being stretched out so thoroughly, the friction clinging onto him as Steve entered. He heard Tony breathing sharply as he pushed in, deeper and deeper. He finally stilled when he was about halfway sheathed, letting Tony adjust to the fullness.

“God, Steve, you're so—I'm...” Tony babbled. He wiggled his hips and slid further down on Steve’s cock. He stammered out his words. “ _Fuck._ I want all of you, please. _Please_.”

Steve held Tony's shaking thighs as he pushed in more, not fully seated but almost there, his own respiration picking up as he sank his cock in. Tony felt unbelievable around him, gripping and enveloping him, hot and pulsating. He could feel Tony trembling around him, keeping his legs spread and adjusting to the feeling of being so _filled_. He wanted to move, but he forced himself to stay still and waited for Tony’s reaction.

Tony was coiling his fingers into the sheets, breathing harshly as he got used to the sensation. After a moment, he released his hands and brought them to Steve’s face to lead him down. The angle was difficult, but Steve wouldn’t deny him of this, meeting him for a kiss. Steve felt the tension in the other’s body ease away at the contact, loosening around him, under him. Then Tony mouthed his jaw intimately and urged him to move.

Steve rolled his hips slowly at first, taking shallow thrusts, until Tony started to respond, shifting down and dragging him back in. The feeling around his cock was almost unbearable, Steve getting lost in his own euphoria, only grounded by the sound of Tony’s muffled whimpers. He was rocking beneath him, his body yielding to Steve’s movements as his cock thumped against his stomach, leaving smudges of precome on his skin.

Steve held Tony's hips, raising them slightly as he shifted his angle, searching. When he hit his mark, Tony let out a loud cry and scrambled at the sheets, desperate to find purchase. Tony clenched around his cock and Steve increased his momentum, hitting the same spot over and over again as he felt Tony shaking, drawing Steve closer in with his legs. Tony was taking hiccuped breaths between chanting Steve’s name, climbing closer and closer to the edge.

Steve could feel the contracted pull in his groin, his muscles tensing as he was building up his own pleasure. “I’m close,” he choked out, his movements turning more frantic and his grip unyielding.

Tony tightened around him, begging him to go faster, too dazed for coherency—all Tony knew was that he just needed _more_ , needed _Steve_. His partner lowered himself down quickly to kiss him, hot and messy, before sitting up and taking hold of Tony’s own neglected cock. He jerked his hand, erratically out of rhythm with his own thrusts, overwhelming Tony with stimulation until Tony was coming, clamping down blindingly on Steve’s cock.

Tony came down from his pleasure with breathless sobs, trembling through the aftershocks as he fell back onto the bed weakly. Steve groaned and repositioned his hands on Tony’s hips, pulling him back and slamming in him again and again, seeking his own release. He followed a few thrusts later, letting out a strangled moan as he buried himself as deeply as he could, shuddering through his completion.

He had to drop his arms down to keep himself from collapsing, locking them in place. He looked down at the sight underneath him, at Tony laying limply there, his eyes unfocused, his body still coming down. Steve himself was still heaving for air, his pulse pounding as his body worked to settle back into equilibrium. He lifted one of his arms and caught Tony’s chin in his hand, gingerly tilting his face up for a kiss. Tony sighed softly against his mouth, happy to oblige. When Steve regained his strength, he sat back and steadied Tony’s hips as he pulled himself out. Tony whined quietly and dropped his face onto the pillow again, then gasped at the emptiness when Steve was done.

“Hold on a minute,” Steve murmured into his ear before he shifted off the bed. He tossed the used condom into the trash on his way to the bathroom, and returned with a damp towel. He held back his blush at how docile Tony was being, moving obediently when Steve asked and nudged lightly, cleaning the both of them up. He chucked the towel somewhere on the floor and settled back next to him, gathering Tony close to his chest. Tony was still pliant under his touch and let himself be tucked under Steve’s arm, and made himself comfortable.

“How are you feeling?” Steve asked, his hands idly stroking Tony’s back, brushing up and down his spine.

“I don’t think I can get up ever again,” Tony replied hoarsely. His voice was quiet and slurred, and his breathing was already slowing into a steady rhythm, just moments away from drifting off to sleep.

Steve curled his arm around Tony’s back, happy to just lay there and hold him. Taking time to listen to Tony’s hushed breathing and feeling the weight settled on top of him. They would have to get up eventually, he thought, but he was going to take whatever moment of peace they could find. Maybe if a new villainous faction didn’t suddenly appear on campus, they could sleep in tomorrow, or take some time off. But Steve had a feeling that they wouldn’t be so lucky; it seemed like they barely had a few days between Academy invasions these past few months.

Well, Captain America probably wouldn't be needed, and Steve found that he didn’t mind that so much, at least, not at the moment. And he could probably convince someone else to take over whatever responsibilities Tony would inevitably have—just for a short while—to give Iron Man some time off.  

Steve held Tony closer, careful not to rouse him, as he settled into the mattress and closed his eyes. Whatever happened on campus later, he was sure they would figure something out.


End file.
